Stirrup.



F. 1. WASSEMILLER.

STIRRUP.

APPucAnou man MAYI5. 19:5.

1,162,324. Patented Nov. 30, 1915.

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STIRRUP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 15, 1915'. Serial No. 28,391.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDRICK J. WAssn- MILLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Monument, in the county of Logan and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stirrups;

and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in stirrups and more particularly to that class adapted to be used in connection with riding saddles, and my object is to provide means to release the stirrup from the strap by receiving side pressure on the parts of the stirrup.

A further object is to provide means for releasing the stirrup from its supporting strap by the foot of the rider coming in contact with parts of. the stirrup. And a further object is to provide suitable means for receiving the stirrup supporting strap.

Other objects and advantages will be hereinafter set forth and more particularly pointed out in the accompanying specification.

In the accompanying drawings which are made a part of this application, Figure 1 is an elevation of the stirrup showing by dotted lines positions of parts thereof when released from the stirrup strap. Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof, and Fig. 3 is a sectional view as seen on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings in which simi lar reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, 1 indicates the stirrup which may be constructed in the usual or any preferred manner and with any suitable material, the upper end of the stirrup having a cross bar 2, one end of which is hingedly secured in the upper end of one side wall of the stirrup as shown at 3, while the opposite end thereof is adapted to extend between standards 4 and 5 at the upper end of the opposite side member of the stirrup.

The end 6 of the cross bar extends a distance beyond the standards t and 5 and is normally held in fixed position by means of a latch 7 the upper end of which is provided with a slot 8 into which the end 6 extends and so long as the latch remains in normal position, the cross bar will be held against swinging movement on its pivot and properly engaged with the stirrup strap 9.

At a point adjacent itsupper end, the latch 7 is pivotally mounted between ears,

10 carried by the side meinberof the stirrup having the standards 4: and 5 thereon, the lower end of the latch being positioned a distance from the stirrup and extending to a point slightly below the lower end of the stirrup so that should the animal being ridden fall, the pressure against the stirrup, the lower end of the latch resting against the earth, will release the end 6 of the cross barfrom the slot 8 so that should the animal quickly arise, the rider will not-be dragged should the animal run away, as the stirrup will readily release itself from the stirrup strap of the saddle.

The latch .7 is normally held in proper position to engage the end of the cross bar: 2 by introducing a spring 11 between the. latch 7 and parts of the stirrup 1, the coil of the spring resting between the stirrup and latch while theends of the spring are seated in channels 12 and '18 respectively in the faces of the stirrup and latch.

Patented Nev. ,eo, rare.

As the rider is sometimes thrown from the saddle and frequently injured by the foot catching and hanging in the stirrup, I have provided means for releasing the end of the cross bar under such conditions which consists of a horizontally disposed lever 14, the standard 5 being so constructed as to form a pivot for said lever, the pivoted end 15 of the lever being extended between the standard f and the upper end of the latch 7 while the opposite end is extended at an angle to provide a plate 16 which is so disposed as to be engaged by the foot of the rider when thrown from the animal. By providing this construction, it will be readily seen that when the rider is thrown from the animal the toe of the foot, or, at least some portion thereof will engage the plate 16 with suflicient force to swing the slotted end of the latch out of engagement with the cross bar, thus permitting the stirrup to disengage from the stirrup strap and preventing the rider from being dragged and injured should he be unable to disengage his foot from the stirrup.

The lever 14 is normally held'in fixed or inoperative position by means of a spring 15, one end of which is secured to the inner face of the standard 4 and the opposite end 6 of the cross bar. The cross bar 2 may be constructed in any suitable manner to properly perform the function for which it is designed, but is preferably provided with a sleeve 17 to receive the strap 9, the outer surface of the sleeve being preferably oval so as to remove the greatest strain upon the stirrup strap from the edges thereof and transfer it to its central portion, the sleeve being held in position on the cross bar in any suitable manner, as by means of re taining washers 18.

By constructing the stirrup strap in the manner shown, it can be quickly attached to or disengaged from the stirrup strap as it is but necessary to release the end of the cross bar by pressing inwardly on the lower end of the latch 7, when the cross bar and sleevemay'be introduced between the folds of the stirrup strap, and the end 6 of-the cross bar re'elngaging with the slot of the latch 7 the stirrup remaining in positive engagement with the strap until such time as the latch? or lever 14 is operated to release the cross bar. It will further be seen that when pressure is directed against the lower end of the latch or the stirrup so as to move the latch toward the stirrup, the end of the cross bar will be released and permitted to swing on its pivot and be .disengaged from the stirrup strap, and likewise when inward pressure is directed against the plate 16 the end 15 of the lever 14 will direct outward pressure against the latch 7 and disengage the same from the end of the cross bar. It will further be seen that the stirrup may be interchanged trouble and may be used in connection with any 'makeof saddle.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A stirrup having side members, a cross bar pivoted to the upper end of one of the side members, standards at the upper end of the opposite side member to receive the free end of the cross bar, a latch pivoted to the standard bearing said member, said latch having a slot to receive the end of the cross bar and having its opposite end positioned to receive pressure to release the latch from the cross bar, and additional pivoted means adapted to receive pressure to release the latch from the cross bar.

A stirrup having a pair of side members, a cross bar pivotally secured to the upper end of one side member, a pair of standards on the other side member adapted to receive the free end of the cross bar, a latch adapted to engage and normally hold the cross bar between the standards, a lever pivoted on one of the standards having one of its ends introduced between the standard and latch, and a plate at the opposite end of the lever adapted to receive pressure whereby the end of the lever between the standard and latch will be moved outwardly against the latch and the latch disengaged from the cross bar, and means to normally hold the lever inoperative.

Intestimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FREDRICK J; 'WASSEMILLER.

Witnesses FRED VVAssnMrLLnn, W. L. TALLMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

: Washington, 13.0. 

